Some Mistakes
by Aerial312
Summary: Instead of selling liquor to the Rebel pilots as he had planned, Han's evening takes a very different turn after one of his usual spat with Leia. Set almost 3 ABY, before ESB.
Title: Some Mistakes

Author's Note: A few weeks ago, MandyQ posted a fic that she was sure would get people riled up because it gave Leia a sexual history. I liked the premise and it got me thinking. I decided that I wanted to explore that Han and Leia hooked up sometime before Empire Strikes Back. I think it could be plausible. For all the "new-ness" of their romantic relationship in ESB, those first scenes of theirs are charged with some expectations she had that had just suddenly changed with him deciding to leave. Either way, I had fun exploring it.

"You may think I'm wrong for you

And you're wrong for me

To look at us on paper

I would have to agree

It could have been the moon light

Or it could have been the wine

But the way that we were acting

Hell it could have been the moon shine

And oh, where do we go from where

I don't know

But baby one thing's clear

Some mistakes are too much fun

To only make once."

- _Some Mistakes_ , Brad Paisley

Han set the heavy crate down beside the ramp to the Falcon. He bent over, counting the contents. Ten bottles of cheap whiskey. Good or bad didn't matter among the Rebel fighters here. Alcohol was alcohol. He was going to make a nice sum on resale. On top of the crate sat one bottle of very good Corellian whiskey, for a special buyer. He had several more where that came from, tucked away on his ship for his own consumption.

He heard footsteps behind him, and quickly closed the crate. The approaching person stopped not far behind him. The contents were definitely contraband. It wasn't against the rules for him to have it, per se, especially since he had never officially joined the Alliance—almost three years of running missions for them aside—but selling it was definitely against the rules. Some people took the rules more seriously than others, and while some of the higher ups themselves occasionally bought from him, it was best not to tempt fate. About that at least.

"Like the view?" Han smirked. He knew it as Leia who'd come up behind him, and he could never resist the chance to rile her up a bit. He stood and turned to face her. She rolled her eyes and scoffed, but he couldn't help but notice the brief sheepish glance that followed. She'd definitely enjoyed her view of his ass in the air.

"Another crate of bottles?" she asked.

"You know they'll just find it somewhere else if they don't get it from me."

"I know," she conceded.

"These guys work their asses off. They deserve to unwind when they're not on duty."

"It's against the rules," she argued weakly.

"You like to follow the rules an awful lot for someone in the high ranks of the _Rebel_ alliance, Your Highness," he told her with a grin. "Hell, there are an awful lot of rules for a—"

"It's still a military—"

"I'm just saying…" Han hoisted the crate and headed down the corridor that led to the crew louinge, Leia following at his heels. "Are you going to tell on me, Your Worshipfullness?"

Leia growled under her breath, "I hate when you—"

"I know."

"Then why-?" Leia hissed, halting mid-sentence was General Riekan closed the door to the conference room behind him as he entered the hallway. "Good evening, sir, " she greeted him.

"Evening, general," Han nodded. Riekan looked at the crate. Leia looked nervously from the crate, to Han, to the General, but Han just smiled. "I've found it sir. From the 20 year old barrels." Han set the crate down and produced a beautifully crafted green bottle, which he handed to Riekan.

"It's a beauty. Was what I gave you enough?"

"Yes, sir.

"Let me know if you come across any of those other bottles I was asking about."

"No luck yet."

Riekan had him looking for wine or brandy from Alderaan. The planet had been known for producing excellent batches of both. So far, Han had looked everywhere he'd been sent, but predictably, they were hard to find.

Reikan nodded, "Thanks," continued in the other direction down the hallway.

"What was that about?" Leia demanded.

"What was what about?" Han asked.

"That exchange."

"General Riekan is a good customer of mine."

"That bit at the end."

"The general is looking for some…rare bottles."

She studied him for a moment. "Alderanni." Han nodded. "Well, if you find any, I'd like one too."

"He's looking for them for you."

"Oh," Leia paused, giving him an odd look.

"What?" Han asked, leaning against the wall to study her.

"I expected a snide comment about my asking for a bottle of alcohol."

"Sometimes I can be a nice guy," he told her.

"Every once and a while."

"I'm always a nice guy when it comes to that," Han insisted, "to Alderaan."

She looked at him silently for a long moment, then nodded. Leia leaned against the wall beside him, brushing against his arm.

"The anniversary is coming up," he noted.

Leia nodded. "I'm not a mess this year, don't worry."

"That's not what I—"

"You've taken the brunt of it two years in a row."

Han turned to face her. "You don't have to be superhuman all the time. It's okay to grieve."

Leia shook her head. "I have to be stronger. They're looking for me to show weakness."

"Maybe at first," Han told her, " but you've proved yourself—"

"You're willing to say that if we walked into that lounge right now there isn't a chance they'd be mocking me?" Han sighed and bowed his head. The guys often let off steam mocking the Princess, but it wasn't about her ability. They mocked all members of the high command.

"That's what I thought."

"They respect you."

"They have to."

Han sighed. She was right about that. She outranked them, so they had to show respect. But she'd definitely shown she was good at what she did. "I don't _have to_ , and I respect you."

Her brow furrowed. "They all set me apart, defer to rank, title—whatever you want to call it—"

"I don't—"

"You're the only one."

"Which is why you seek me out."

"I don't seek you out!" Han cocked an eyebrow at her. "What?" she demanded.

"So why are you following me?" Han asked.

Leia sighed loudly, and turned heel down the hallway. "Nevermind."

Han raked his hand through his hair. That had deteriorated fast. He really hadn't been trying to egg her on…at first. Nice conversations had the tendency to change in an instant sometimes with her. Always when they had a nice connection about something. She didn't know how to relate to him without guarding herself fiercely.

And had she wanted him to follow her just now? No clue. He sure didn't feel like peddling his bottles to the pilots tonight anymore. Han picked the crate back up and headed back to the Falcon. He could drink alone. He set down the liquor just inside the hatch, and pounded the code to close the ramp. He trudged down the hall. She got under his skin a lot more than he wanted to admit.

And there she was, sitting on the counter of the lounge with his bottle of good Corellian whiskey in beside her, open. "Was this a test?" he asked.

She sighed and shook her head, then took a swig from the bottle.

"Hey, that's the good stuff. It wants a glass."

"I couldn't find one."

Han smirked. The glasses were in the cabinet right behind where she was sitting.

"What?" she demanded. He crossed over to her and tapped the cabinet door. "Oh."

Leia leaned forward, toward him, allowing him to open it and retrieve two glasses. She was so hard to read tonight. He set the glasses down on the counter and shut the door, but didn't immediately move. Neither did she. If anything, she tipped closer. She was nearly leaning against his shoulder. Instinctively, his hands came up on rest on her upper arms, rubbing gently up and down. Instead of rebuking him, as he expected, she now let her head truly rest on his shoulder, wrapping both her arms and her knees around him. Huh.

Han kissed the top of her head lightly. "What do you need?"

Leia pulled back to look at him. After a second, she told him, "I'm sick of being lonely." She studied him for a moment longer, then made her decision, leaning in and kissing him deeply. Han kissed her back immediately.

They made out like this for several minutes before Leia slid his jacket from his shoulders, let it fall to the floor behind him. He cupped her head, kissing her more deeply. He'd had many dreams that started something like this. Leia tugged his shirt untucked from his pants, running her hands up the bare skin of his back. He groaned softly, pulling back just a bit to ask, "You sure?"

Leia replied with a slight nod, again capturing his lips and now reaching for his belt buckle.

He chuckled against her mouth. "Not out here."

She pushed off the counter, sliding down along his body—and his obvious arousal. Han groaned, and she smiled, pleased with the reaction she was getting out of him. Her hand still on his belt, she led him down the hall to his cabin.

He had no sooner shut the door behind them, and she had him pressed to it, lips hot on him again. His belt hit the floor. She leaned into him, and her body was warm against his erection, causing him to inhale sharply. She knew exactly what she was doing and she was good at it. His shirt soon followed, and hers, and he maneuvered her back towards the bed.

Whether this was a good idea or not, didn't really matter anymore. They could deal with the fall out later, or pretend it didn't happen, or whatever the hell she wanted. Right now, he had a beautiful, increasing-naked woman in his arms—one he'd fantasized about pretty much since he'd met her—and he was going to enjoy it.


End file.
